Dose distributor



Aug. '27, 1929. ENNls 1,725,979

DOSE DISTRIBUTOR File'd Jan. 15, 1927 550F615 h. f/v/v/s By ATT NEK Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

iJNITED STATES GEORGE H. ENNIS, or LONG BEAcRcALIroRNIA.

DOSE DISTRIBUTOR.

Application filed January 15,1927. SerialNo. 161,329.

My invention relates to the testing of an oil well to determine the location of the water sands so that they may be sealed off, and it relates particularly to an apparatus for depositing a dose of testlng liqu d in the body of liquid in thewell, 1n the zone of the water sands.

It is highly important in the 011 producing industry, that all water bearing sands be sealed from the well so that the oil Wlll not be mixed with the water and be reduced in commercial value. The water sands are very oftendiflicult to locate.

In my application for Letters Patentmethod of and apparatus for determining water strata in wells, Serial No. 80,160, filed January 9, 1926.1 describe a method of locating the water sands by distributing an electrolyte in the well and then bailing out some of the liquid in the well so that the level will he loweredt-hus causing water .to flow into the well from the water sands. A pairof spaced electrodes forming a primary battery is connected in an external electric circuit and is then lowered into the well and the flow of current produced by'the electrochemical action of the electrolyte on the electrodes is noted. When a noticeable charge-.means is operatedby a pressure ofthe liquidin which the dose distributor is submerged, "this pressure being set up by a movement of the dose distributor through the liquid in a given direction.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dose distributor of this character which is operated so as to be capable of discharge by jerking it.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a dose distributor in which. a discharge means is controlled by a valve operated by pressure of the liquid in which the distributor is immersed, and in which the valve, once operated, automatically remains open;

Further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, showing-its utility.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a medial vertical sectionalview of the valve member of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

- Referring to Fig. 1, I show the lower end of a well 7 having a perforated casing 8 installed therein, the well being filled with a body of liquid 9. Water bearing sands are indicated at 10, the sands introducing water into the well unless they are properly sealed.

The dose distributor 14 has a tubular shell 15 closed at its lower end by a lowerhead 16, threadedly secured in the lower end thereof, and at its upper end by an upper head 17 threadedly secured to the upper end thereof. The parts cooperate to provide a dose chamber 18. A vent pipe 20 threadedly received in an opening 21 in the lower head 16, ex

tends upwardly in the chamber 18, the upper end terminating slightly below the upper head 17. Gentrally formed in the upper head 17 is a hole 22 which threadedly receives a pipe 23, this pipe being extended downwardly in the chamber 18 to a position slightly above the lower head 16. The upper head 17 is provided with a bail 24 to which a cable 25 is connected for lowering the dose distributor 14 into and for raising it from the well 7.

Threadedly received in the upper end of the hole 22 is a nipple 26 which extends above the top of the head 17 and is screwed into a threaded aperture 29 of a body 27 of a valve member 28. The body 27 has a central bore 30 which extends downwardly from the upper end to communicate with the hole 29. A threaded counter-bore 31 is formed in the bore 30 and a second counter-bore 32 is formed in the counter-bore 31 which has threads 33 formed in its upper end. An annular valve seat member 35 is threadedly received into the counter-bore 31, the seat member 35 having a downwardly disposed valve seat/36 formed thereupon. Screwed into the threads 33 at the upper end of the counter-bore 32 is a spider 37 having a central opening 38 which is axially aligned with the valve seat 36.

A valve 40 has a head 41 which is adapted to seat against the seat 36 from which a tically position, as shown in Fig. 3 in full lines, so

that the valve head 41 is seated against the seat 36. a

An externally threaded body 51 of a catch member is received into a threaded opening 52 formed in the wall of the body 27 as shown in Fig. 4. The body 51 projects inwardly into the counter-bore 32 to a point adjacent the valvestem 42. The body 51 has a bore 53 to receive a catch 54 which is adapted to project out of the mouth of the bore 53 and engage the surface of the valve stem 42. The catch 54 is retained from leaving the bore 53 by a catch [stem 56 which passes through a suitable opening provided in the body 51 between the bore 53 and the exterior thereof, the stem 56 having a head 57 provided upon its outer end.

A compression spring 59 is placed in the bore 53 to hold the catch 54 in extended position.

'The operation of my invention is as follows:

The dose distributor is first filled with the testing liquid. This testing liquid is an electrolyte havin marked electro-chemical characteristics. he dose distributor is then lowered into the well by means of the cable 25, the valve 40 being closed at this time. As the dose distributor 14 moves downwardly into the liquid, a pressure of the liquid 12 against the cone-shaped lowerv head 16 is set u which tends to force the water 12 upwar 1y through the pipe 20 in the chamber 18. The valve 40 being closed,

however,'the"dose 65 is unable to flow upwardly out of the pipe 23 to make room for the admission of the water 12 upwardly through the pipe 20 into the chamber 18. The dose distributor 14, therefore, passes downwardly throu bout the length of the well without the a mission of the water 12 into the chamber 18.

When the distributor reaches a depth where it is believed the water sands are, the

'dose of liquid is discharged. In Fig. 1, the

distributor 14 is adjacent to the water sands 10 which is the proper place to discharge the dose. This is accomplished by a sudden jerking of the line 25 so. as to raise the dose distributor 14 a short. distance at an excessive rate of speed. A pressure of the water 12 upon the upper end of the dose distributor 14' is set up, this increased pressure being water sands are found.

that this increased pressure will force the valve 40 downwardly until the catch 54 lodges in the channel 43 and retains the valve 40 in open position. After the -lift-. ing of the dose distributor 14 a short; distance at an excessive rate ofspeed ac complish the permanent openmg cff the valve 40, the dose distributor 14 is"ag'ai'nlowered at a; uniform and predetermmed rate of speed.

411- "The spring 44 is sufiiciently'weak so When the-valve'40 is open as it i's the liquid will flow into the [conical mouth -of the lower head 16, and; the pipe'fl20 into the upper end'of the chamber 18; This entrance of liquid displaces the dose; 65causing it to flow through the pipe 23, the pas; sage 22, the nipple 17, and the valve member 28 into thewell above the distributor. The valve 41', together with its associated chambers and seat, comprises a fluid operk ated means permitting the dose to be dis;

placed from the dose chamber by thefluid entering therein. The dose may also be dis charge by raising the distributonff The dosedistributor of my invention is madam different diameters and in each well treated, a distributor is selected having-a diameter about a half inch or so less than the inside diameter of the oil string. Thus when the distributor is raised suddenly an excessive pressure is applied to the top of the distributor causing the valve 40 to open. Also, due to the small space between the distributor and the wall of the oil string, an ample pressure is imposed upon the lower end of A the distributor when thisis lowered in-thecasing to force the contents of the distributor out of the upper end thereof. After dis-- tributing the dose the distributor is removed from the well, after which a test is'made using theapparatus mentioned in the first part of the specification. If the test does not show u the water sands, another dose is deposed 1n the well at another depth and another test is made; and so on until the It is to be understood, of course, that when it is desired to re-use this distributor in the manner above described, it may be recharged with a fresh dose 65 by pouring ties of the dose 65 begins to flow from the lower head 16, it will then be known by the this fresh dose downwardly into the spider operator that the chamber 18 is entirely filled with the liquid of the dose. The head 57 of the catch stem 56 is then drawn out.

wardly to remove the catch 54 from the one just described.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that my invention is adapted for de positing a dose at a desired depth in a well,

the distributor being lowered and then jerked so as to open the valve 40.

While Ihave shown and described a definite embodiment of the present invention,

it is to be understood that-various'changes nected to said dose chamber through which said dose passes from said dose chamber when displaced by said liquid; and means operated by jerking said dose distributor for permitting the entrance of said liquid into i said dose chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell adapted to be I submerged in a liquid, said shell being closed at its top and bottom to form a dose cham her, there being vent means communicating between one end of said chamber and the exteriore of said shell; means for conducting said liquid into the opposite end of said. chamber when said shell is passed through.

said liquid so as to cause said dose to flow out of said chamber through said vent means; and valve means for maintaining one of said other means closed, said valve means being operable to open one of said other means.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell adapted to be submerged in a liquid, said shell being closed at its top and bottom to form a dose chamber,

there being ventmeans communicating between one end of said chamber and the c);- terior of said shell; means for conducting said liquid into the opposite end of said chamber whensaid shell is passed through said liquid so as to cause said dose to flow out of said chamber through said vent means; and a valve for closing said conducting means.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell adapted'to be submerged in a liquid, said shell beingclosed at its top and bottom to form a dose chamber, there being vent means communicating between one end of said chamber and the exterior of said shell; means for conducting said liquid into the opposite end of said chamber when said shell ispassed through shell. is passed through said liquid in a given direction. q

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell adapted to' be submergedrin a liquid, said shell being closed at its top and bottom to form a dose chamber, there being vent means communicating between. one end of said chamberand the exterior of said shell; means for conducting said liquid into the opposite end of said' chamber when said shell is passed through said liquid so as to cause said dose to flow out of said chamber through said vent means; and a valve for closing said conducting means, said valve opening when said shell is passed through said liquid in a given direction at an excessive rate of speed.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell adapted to be submerged in a liquid, said shell being closed at its top and bottom to form a dose cham ber, there being vent means communicating chamber when said shell is passed through said liquid so asto cause said dose to flow out of said chamber through said vent means;-a valve for closing said conducting means, .said valve opening when said shell is passed through said liquid in a given direction; and means for retaining said valve in open position.

7. In an apparatus-0f the class described, the combination of: a shell forming a dose chamber and adapted to be passed through a liquid, there being a vent means to permit the discharge of adose from said chamber, and" an inlet for admitting liquid into said chamber in a manner to force said jdose out of said vent; and a valve adapted to close said inlet.-

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of: a shell forming a dose chamber and adapted to be passed through a liquid, there being a vent means to permit the discharge of a dose from said chamber,

the combination of: a shell forming a dose chamber and adapted to be passed. through a liquid, there being a vent means to permit the discharge of a dose from said chamber, and an inlet for admitting liquid into said chamber in a manner to force said dose out of said vent; a valve'adapted to close said and an inlet for admitting liquid into said chamber in a manner to force said dose out of saidjvent; a valve adapted to close said inlet; resilient means for holding said valve in closed position, said valve being adapted to be opened against said resilient means by liquid pressure set up'b movement of said shell through said liquid in a given direction; and means for holding said valve in open position; I

In testim'om whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Long Beach, California, this 18th day of December, 192

GEORGE H. ENNIS. 

